Wire-stretcher



(No Model.)

G; S. DEAN.

' WIRE STRETGHER. N0. 281,673. j Patented July 24, 1883.

[NVENTOR ATTOR EY UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

GEORGE s. DEAN, 0F INDEPENDENCE, IOWA, ASSIGNOB oFoNE-HALF T0 ROBERT E. wILEs, OF FBEEPORT, ILLINoIs.

.WIRE- STRETCH ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part'o f Letters Patent No. 281,673, dated July 24, 1883. Application filed October 16, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE S. DEAN, a resident of Independence, in the county of Buchanan and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire- Stretchers; and I do hereby declarethefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

My invention is an improved wire-stretcher of that class in which a wire-holding clamp is moved forward. upon a ratchet-bar by the movement of -a reciprocating lever. It is so constructed that at each movement of the lever, whether forward or back, the clamp is advanced upon the bar and the wire tightened to the extent of such advance.

The construction of the device is fully shown in the accompanying drawings, and the device and its mode of operation are described in the following specification.

In the drawings mentioned, Figure 1 is a plan of the stretcher attached to a post and lying in a horizontal plane; and Fig. 2, a vertical section of same through line 00 y, Fig. 1.

As shown in these drawings, A is a ratchetbar, preferably of iron, provided with asingle set of ratchets, N, on one edge, and at its front end with a small link or clevis, O, for the attachment of a chain, Q. On the ratchet-bar A move freely from end to end two slides, B B, to which are pivoted, by bolts or rivets a a, two pawls, D D, adapted to engage the ratchet N.

On the bolt to of the slide B is pivoted a lever, 0, preferably of iron, whose normal position is at right angles to the ratchetbar A.

A bar or link, S, connects the end of the lever O and the slide B, and is pivoted thereto by bolts or rivets c c, and midway between the pivots a c on the lever C is pivotally attached (by means of rivet b) a slide, F, carrying two clamping-jaws, K L, of any desired construction. The slide F is provided with a stirrup or loop, M, (shown by dotted lines,) which encircles the ratchet-bar and holds the slide securely in line therewith. The chain Q is attached at its inner end to the bar A by means wrapped about a post, 1?, the hook V being passed through the staple O. In splicing two wires, however, the chain extends in line with the lever, and while the clamps on the slide F grasp one wire, as shown, the jaws of the clamp Bi grasp the other.

The operation of the stretcher is as follows: The stretcher being connected by means of the chain to a post at its forward end, and by means of the clamping-jaws K L to a wire, G, at its rear end, as shown, the lever G is raised above a horizontal position, in order that the weight of the pawls D D may cause their free ends to press upon the bar A. If, now, the outer end of the lever C be moved forward or toward the post, the pivot 0 acts as the fulcrum, being restrained from longitudinal motion on the bar A by the link S and pawl D. The fulcrum 0 being stationary as to longitudinal motion, the pivot a is moved forward on the bar, carrying with it the pawl D, which engages with the successive notches of the ratchetbar, and prevents any loss of the advance gained by the forward movement of the lever. If, on the other hand, the lever be moved backward or away from the post, the pivot a becomes the fulcrum, the pivot 0 is moved forward and pushes forward, by means of the link S, the slide B and pawl D, which in its turn engages with the successive notches of the ratchet-bar. Thus at each movement of the lever, whether forward or back, one of zontal position the pawls D D fall out of the notches of the ratchet-bar, and the slides B B F and lever C may be readily moved to the rear end of the bar A, when a second inversion of the stretcher brings it again into working position.

Having now described my invention and ex plained its operation, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a wire-stretcher, the combination of a single ratchet-bar, a reciprocating lever, a 5 wire-clamp attached to said lever, and means whereby said lever and clamp may be moved forward upon said ratchet-bar at each movement of said lever.

2. In a wire-stretcher, the combination of a 10 single bar, one of whose edges is provided with ratchet-teeth, two pawl-carrying slides moving longitudinally on said bar and connected substantially as described, and a reciprocating lever pivoted to one of said pawl-carrying r 5 slides and adapted to move said slides forward alternately on said bar by its reciprocal motion.

3. The combination of the bar A, provided with ratchet-teeth on one of its edges, the two slides B B, connecting-bar S, pawls D D, and 2c lever 0, all constructed and operating substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscrib- 25 ing witnesses.

GEORGE S. DEAN.

Witnesses:

R. H. VVILEs, F. \V. BRAINERD. 

